Karen McNamara (Dobell, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

Last month the people of the Central Coast were brutally reminded of the power of Mother Nature when hit by severe storms and flooding. This was a once-in-a-decade storm event and it was the equivalent of the category 2 cyclone, and it arrived with little warning. Homes were damaged or destroyed, and businesses were forced to close. From the Great Lakes to the Illawarra, over 10,000 requests for assistance to the SES were recorded. One hundred and seventy flood rescues were undertaken at up to 220,000 people were without power. Mobile and landline phones were impacted, with many residents without telecommunications for days.

On the Central Coast, at the peak of the storm, some 85,000 homes and businesses were without power and many for up to, or over, a week. As the rain continued to fall and floodwaters rose, thousands of emergency service personnel worked tirelessly to secure property, remove hazards and restore power. The sheer scale of this disaster can be demonstrated by the experiences of the emergency services personnel. I visited the Wyong SES headquarters following the savage storm and was advised by their team that in Wyong Shire they had responded to over 2200 jobs, which was the most of any location in New South Wales. In fact, I was advised that in the history of the New South Wales SES this was the largest response ever faced. Local SES volunteers were assisted by their Victorian counterparts and worked with emergency services, community groups and local government to support those requiring assistance. SES volunteers were joined by Fire and Rescue New South Wales and the Rural Fire Service—and I would just like to acknowledge Ourimbah RFS for the great work that they did during the storms. They were also joined by the Volunteer Rescue Association and staff from Wyong and Gosford Shire councils. Even last weekend, when I was driving around Wyong Shire, we could still see Wyong Shire Council staff who were still removing fallen trees, almost a month after the storms.

There are many groups and individuals that deserve thanks. I would particularly like to thank those who travelled from Victoria to lend a hand when it was needed on the Central Coast. I had the pleasure of meeting Victorian SES volunteers at the Wyong SES headquarters, and I commend them for their willingness and dedication to help other regions, particularly in our time of need. Without the assistance of the interstate, volunteers many Central Coast residents would still be facing uncomfortable living conditions due to property damage. Special mention is also made to Ausgrid, whose teams worked tirelessly through the day and night to restore power. Many thanks to the local Ausgrid teams and to those who came out of the region to assist. Our gratitude also goes to Telstra, who assisted in restoring telecommunications, particularly in our outreach areas.

I would also like to thank my parliamentary colleagues, the Hon. Michael Keenan, the Minister for Justice, and Senator the Hon. Marise Payne, the Minister for Human Services. Both of them took the time to visit the Central Coast and meet with those on the ground who are working to provide assistance to our community.

The Central Coast still faces a long and difficult clean-up task ahead, and our thoughts remain with the families of the four people in the Hunter region whose lives were tragically claimed by this natural disaster. Tragically, while still unconfirmed, it appears that we lost one life in Dobell. Those who lost their homes will face the toughest journey back to normality. Councillor Doug Eaton, the Mayor of Wyong Shire Council, advised me that across the shire approximately 10,000 trees were brought down by the strong winds, causing extensive damage to homes, roads, powerlines and public infrastructure. I am advised the damage bill is in excess of $300 million.

The New South Wales recovery centre at Wyong has, to date—and it is only been opened just over a week—assisted 226 people since the storm. This is in addition to the thousands who applied for assistance through the Department of Human Services. I had the opportunity to visit the department's mobile service centre when it visited Killarney Vale. The centre aided individuals to access assistance, and also had social workers on hand to provide counselling, support and information during this difficult time. I spoke with one local resident whose house had been flooded with sewage. Within minutes of talking with a department staffer she had been approved for additional assistance. As you can appreciate, she was extremely grateful for this assistance and for the fact that their mobile service centre had made it easy for her to lodge her application.

The Central Coast community was certainly tested by these storms. Numerous roads were closed due to flood water, fallen trees and power poles. Associated problems arose when sewerage pumping stations lost power and were unable to function. Many of those on rural properties had no access to running water, including myself. Residents were not only dealing with damage to houses and no power but no bathroom facilities as well. There were, unfortunately, cases where sewage found its way back through the pipes into people's homes. Some of our communities in the Wyong valleys were entirely isolated for days.

Flooding forced the closure of my electorate office, but upon reopening we received numerous calls for assistance, which we were only too happy to provide: from people looking for a place to charge their phone—and even their power tools—to the Henry Kendall retirement village, which required help organising waste removal services. Many of the elderly residents there had not had power to their fridges for about four days, and we sent the message to dispose of that food.

Stories of the storm were shared and hands offered out in help. I would like to acknowledge my staff for the help they provided to local residents during this difficult time. Locals were forced from their homes and local hotels quickly found themselves with no vacancies. Many residents who rent their properties faced uncertain times immediately following the storms as they awaited news from their leasing agents as to whether or not damage would be repaired. For our local students, school holidays were extended for another week and some local schools were unable to open as a result of the storms.

Now that the clouds have cleared and the winds are quiet, we focus our attention on helping the vulnerable members of our community. Sadly, during the storm the mental health unit at Wyong Hospital was at capacity—

A division having been called in the House of Representatives—

Proceedings suspended from 11:50 to 12:10

Sadly, during the storm the mental health unit at Wyong Hospital was at full capacity. We had many people self-admitting. It was a sad case of people just not knowing what was happening and where to go, and I cannot imagine how unsettling and terrifying this experience would have been for them. Unfortunately, many patients did not take their medication and are now suffering from extreme anxiety, and our challenge now is to provide assistance to the most vulnerable of our community, who have been adversely impacted by this natural disaster.

This storm highlighted the need for emergency pharmacy assistance centres should an event like this occur again, as many residents lost refrigerated medication due to the lack of power. Many residents also lost food as a result of the extended power failure, and local supermarkets quickly ran out of supplies. Bread and milk became scarce commodities, along with candles, torches and batteries. For those on the pension and other welfare payments, it was a costly exercise to replace what they had lost, and many are still struggling to replace spoiled food. I would like to thank the community organisations, including Wyong Neighbourhood Centre, and volunteers who extended a helping hand during this time. I am pleased to advise parliament that Wyong Shire Council has arranged a civic reception for all of our local volunteers, to be held next month.

But we must not forget the subsequent storms in Queensland and northern New South Wales. As the Prime Minister informed the House, approximately 9,000 residents in New South Wales communities on the upper North Coast were isolated for some time. Tragically, there were five fatalities at this time, including a young child, when vehicles were washed away by floodwaters. We must never forget the strength of Mother Nature and the inherent dangers during times of natural disaster.

Superintendent Daniel Sullivan, commander of the Brisbane Water Local Area Command, advised me:

As Local Emergency Management Controller I am extremely proud of how these difficult circumstances brought out the best in our community. The resilience and dignity shown under extreme conditions is something we can all be proud of.

It is true to say that the best of our community is seen during testing times, and this is certainly true of our community of Dobell, who, as always, banded together to show the real meaning of community spirit. The lack of power found many families and friends reconnecting over candlelight. Clubs with power became meeting places to share stories and have a laugh during a difficult time. Cries for help were placed on social media and answered immediately. Many opened up their homes and bathrooms to friends, relatives and strangers to have showers. It is this sense of community networking that makes me proud to represent Dobell. I know that we are a unique area, and the struggles we face demonstrate what a truly tight-knit community we are. I would like to thank everyone who helped during and after the storms and commend their efforts to the House.

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